Services

Tongue Tie / Lip Tie Treatment

At Gold Coast Holistic Dental Care, Dr Dan Hanson offers laser tongue tie and lip tie releases. Every Thursday, we dedicate one of our rooms to tongue tie and lip tie consultations and treatments. We are passionate about helping correct this common problem as early as possible in life.

What is a Tongue Tie / Lip Tie?

A tongue tie or lip tie decreases the mobility of the tongue or lip and is a congenital abnormality. The tie is caused by the frenulum. The frenulum is a normal part of the body’s anatomy, but can be too thick, too short, or attached in the wrong place. If this is the case, the frenum may restrict the range of motion in the infants tongue or lips.

Who is suitable for a laser tongue tie or lip tie release?

The treatment is suitable for patients of all ages. It can be the solution for:

• Infants with feeding difficulties
• Children with speech and jaw growth problems
• Adults with head and neck tension and snoring

Common Symptoms of Tongue Ties / Lip Ties

There are various symptoms of tongue ties and lip ties. They can arise in early infancy or develop during childhood, and continue into adulthood.

Common symptoms for infants:

• Breast feeding difficulties
• Colic
• Mouth breathing

Common symptoms for children:

• Incorrect growth of the face and jaws
• Crooked teeth
• Speech difficulties
• Eating difficulties

Symptoms can arise at any age. Some common symptoms for adults with tongue ties or lip ties are:

• Speech difficulties
• Breathing dysfunction (mouth breathing, snoring and sleep apnea)
• Abnormal swallowing habits
• Head and neck pains
• Postural issues

Diagnosis of Tongue Tie / Lip Tie

Every tongue tie or lip tie is unique in its shape and form. Dr Dan Hanson is the founder of the Gold Coast Tongue Tie Clinic and co-founder of the Tongue Tie Institute. He has dedicated his work solely to treatment of soft tissue dysfunction and it’s co-morbidities which can include feeding, speaking, sleeping and jaw growth challenges. He performs approximately 10 to 15 surgical procedures each week between clinics on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne.

5 step diagnosis of tongue tie / lip tie:

1. Thorough visual examination
2. Complete investigation of the functional challenges of the patient
3. Symptom analysis
4. Manual palpation examination of the mouth
5. Diagnosis (if patient is a baby: this will be done in conjunction with a lactation consultant or mid-wife)

Tongue Tie / Lip Tie Surgery

The tongue or lip tie release (also called frenectomy) is performed with a medical laser. The procedure only takes 2 minutes in the dental chair. However, please allow up to 1 hour for your consultation and around 20 minutes for after-care.

If the patient is an infant, a lactation consultant will be present. The laser uses light energy to remove the abnormally attached lip and/or tongue tie, layer by layer. The process does not require anaesthetics, sutures or oral medications for infants. For children and adults, local anaesthesia is used. Sutures are sometimes an option which can be discussed at your consultation. Often there is no need for sutures.

Advantages of Tongue Tie / Lip Tie solutions for babies:

• Solve breastfeeding difficulties (read more about this here: Tongue Tie Release Can Help Breastfeeding)
• By solving breastfeeding difficulties, the chance of crooked teeth in later stages can be reduced (read more about this topic here – Breastfeeding and Malocclusion)

After Care

At Gold Coast Holistic Dental Care, we look after our patients’ overall health. This often requires referral to allied health practitioners. When a tongue tie has been present since before birth, there is usually some compensatory muscle activation, particularly in the lips, cheeks and neck region. Some gentle manual therapy from a cranial worker such as a chiropractor or osteopath can assist with achieving excellent results by relieving this tension and working on other areas which are outside the scope of practice of the surgeon. This is best done both before and after surgery. You can find out more about supportive therapies and lists of trusted supporting practitioners here.

You will receive post-operative instructions from our team. These include:

• Seeing a body worker (chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist)
• Post-operative stretches to help reduce chances of re-attachment
• Myofunctional exercises before and after the procedure (for children and adults)
• Close contact with a lactation consultant (for babies) after the procedure

Steps for Tongue Tie / Lip Tie Treatment

Step 1: Call our practice on (07) 5644 6000

Step 2: We will provide you will all the information you need for your circumstances

Step 3: We will help you to book the appropriate consultation

Tongue Tie / Lip Tie Resources

If you would like to learn more about tongue tie and lip tie procedures, please follow our links below:

Gold Coast Tongue Tie Clinic 

List of lactation consultants and midwives who are trained in tongue and lip ties

List of body workers who are trained in tongue and lip ties

List of Speech Pathologists who are trained in tongue and lip ties

List of trusted homeopaths and naturopaths

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek advice from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.